Title
Adriatic meso-Mediterranean holm oak forests (Quercus ilex) with Fraxinus ornus, Rosa sempervirens, Lonicera etrusca, Sesleria autumnalis on carbonate rocks
Geographical distribution
Country/territory
Italy: Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Emilia-Romagna, Marche, Umbria, Lazio, Abruzzo, Puglia; Croatia: Istria, Adria coast; Bosnia-Herzegovina; Yugoslavia: Montenegro
area frequency
41 polygons.
Scientific names of main plant communities and their most common synonyms (with author citation)
Orno-Quercetum ilicis Horvatić (1956) 1958, Ostryo-Quercetum ilicis Trinajstić (1965) 1974.
Structural feature of the main community(ies) (layers, life-forms, etc.)
Species-rich, in part high-growing holm oak forests, sometimes with Pinus halepensis, rich in lianas and shrubs, with frequent Quercetalia ilicis species in the herb layer.
Dominant and most frequent species in different layers
Tree layer
Quercus ilex, (Pinus halepensis), Fraxinus ornus, Ostrya carpinifolia, Quercus pubescens
Shrub layer
Viburnum tinus, Juniperus oxycedrus, Laburnum anagyroides, Daphne laureola, Phillyrea latifolia, Pistacia terebinthus, Pistacia lentiscus, Cornus mas, Hippocrepis emerus subsp. emeroides, Arbutus unedo, Laurus nobilis, Erica arborea
Lianas
Smilax aspera, Lonicera etrusca, Lonicera implexa, Clematis flammula, (Hedera helix), Rosa sempervirens, Tamus communis, Rubia peregrina
Herb layer
Asparagus acutifolius, Cyclamen repandum, Ruscus aculeatus, Asplenium onopteris, Teucrium flavum, Melica uniflora, Hepatica nobilis, Primula acaulis, Cephalanthera damasonium, Cephalanthera longifolia, Lathyrus venetus, Carex halleriana, Sesleria autumnalis, Arum italicum
Moss layer (incl. lichens)
Pleurochaete squarrosa, Scleropodium touretii, Brachythecium rutabulum, Trichostomum crispulum, Homalothecium sericeum
Diagnostically important species
Quercus ilex; Laburnum anagyroides, Daphne laureola; Primula acaulis, Lathyrus venetus
Ecological variants
No details
Geographical variants (geogr. differential species)
No details
Natural accompanying vegetation (most important units in complex with the name giving mapping unit, scientific names)
Thero-Brachypodetalia at the coast?; Vegetation of sea cliffs (Crithmo-Limonion), rock crevice vegetation (Centaureo-Campanulion).
Adjoining climax and permanent vegetation (with numbers of mapping units)
species-rich beech forests (F146, F150), bitter oak forests (G11, G13), Balkan oak-bitter oak forests (G19), downy oak forests (G44, G48, G51, G53, G63), Mediterranean sclerophyllous forests (J20, J48) black pine forests (K11), dune vegetation (P11), salt vegetation (P26, P27), alluvial forests (U15, U18).
Land use, substitute communities
forestry (substitute communities, plantations of economic tree-species, scrub)
Pinus halepensis and Pinus pinaster plantations; garrigue (Cisto-Ericetalia); Paliurus spina-christi scrub.
grassland (meadows, pastures, herb-rich communities)
Thero-Brachypodietea communities.
arable land (characteristic weed communities)
Olive trees widely distributed, viniculture, wheat fields, and also Opuntien cultivation.
settlements (typical ruderal vegetation)
Brometalia rubenti-tectori communities, Onopordieteum illyrici.
Site conditions of the mapping unit
Landscape type, geomorphology
lowland and hilly country at the coast, sometimes rocky and sometimes sandy
Altitudinal belt and/or altitudinal range
lowland, colline; 0-500 m; meso-Mediterranean
Geology (bedrock)
lime-rich substrates (Tertiary, Cretaceous ), marine (Pleistocene) sediments
soil type, also the depth of fine textured earth (soil), stone content; (international nomenclature)
lime-rich brown soils, humus carbonate soils, undeveloped sand soils, terra rossa; (stony chromic cambisols; (stony) chromic luvisols; rendzic leptosols)
soil texture
sandy, loamy, stone-rich
soil moisture, water balance
moderately dry, dry
soil reaction
neutral, alkaline
soil fertility
meso-eutrophic, eutrophic
Climate incl. local climate
climate type (following Walter & Lieth)
IV1, IV2a, IV3c, IV4, IV(V), IV(VI)1, V
average annual temperature
13-16 °C
average annual precipitation
600-750 mm; 900-1100 mm (Yugoslavia)
average temperature of the warmest month
July 21-28 °C
average temperature of the coldest month
January 4-6 °C
local climate or other climatic peculiarities
drought periods enduring more than one month; humid type of the Mediterraneann climate (Yugoslavia).
Importance for nature protection
Present state and development trend of natural vegetation (degree of endangerment)
Holm oak forests are almost all severely degraded, replaced by Pinus halepensis plantations, also macchia and garrigue.
endangered communities, species worthy of protection in natural vegetation
Orno-Quercetum ilicis.
causes of endangerment
Fire, timber production, agriculture, formerly grazing, recreational activities, building development.
required measures for protection and restitution
strict protection for selected stands (for natural succession).
Localities of representative stands (loci typici) with state of protection
of the natural vegetation
Italy: Costiera Triestina, nature reserve Bosco Nordio, nature reserve Bosco della Mesola, regional park Monte Conero, national park Monte Gargano; Croatia: island Rab; Montenegro: Bar-Cafa.
of characteristic substitute communities worthy of protection
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Most important references (author, year)
Horvatić 1958; Horvatić 1963a; Horvatić 1963b; Pedrotti 1967; Pedrotti 1982a; Poldini 1989; Trinajstić 1984a; Trinajstić 1985b
Compiled by
Z. Neuhäuslová and F. Pedrotti; Z. Neuhäuslová based on documents by I. Trinajstić
